10 Places You Won’t Believe Are in China

Many of us dream of traveling to the States, Canada, Australia and Europe to witness the beautiful landscapes of mother nature. What most of us may not realise is that many of these European-like sceneries can be found in Asia. If you ever need a pocket-friendly destination to feel like you are in the other side of the world, then pack your bags as you are heading to China! Below are a few of the many places that can almost make you forget you are in Asia.

1) 50 Moganshan Road, Shanghai

Shanghai is more than just Oriental Pearl Tower. 50 Moganshan Road or “M50” is a contemporary art district in Shanghai, China, that houses a thriving community of more than a hundred artists whose studios are open to the public. It is often compared with New York’s SoHo. The art quarter was named among the top ten things to do in Shanghai by Times Magazine.

Image Credit: blog.virginatlantic.com

2) Yiliang Jiuxiang Scenic Area, Kunming

Yiliang Jiuxiang Scenic Area is located 90 km away from Kunming. The scenic area is a large comprehensive tourist scenic area combining the karst cave, gorges scenery, ethnic customs and cultural landscape.

With hundreds of large and small caves, Jiuxiang scenic area owns the largest number and most unique caves. It is a unique international karst geological park. According to scientists, Jiuxiang karst caves dolomites were formed 600 million years ago.

Image credit: visitheworld.tumblr.com

3) OCT East, ShenZhen

OCT East is an entertainment and resort complex in Yantian, Shenzhen, China that features natural landscape, small towns of western and oriental styles. It is divided into 3 theme parks, namely Knight Valley (大侠谷), Tea Stream Resort Valley (茶溪谷) and Wind Valley (云海谷). It also features 8 hotels and a Buddhist Temple.

Image credit: easytourchina.com

4) Stone Forest, Kunming

According to legend, the forest is the birthplace of Ashima, a beautiful girl of the Yi people. After falling in love she was forbidden to marry her chosen suitor and instead turned into a stone in the forest that still bears her name. Each year on the 24th day of the sixth lunar month, many Yi people celebrate the Torch Festival, which features folk dances and wrestling competitions. The magnificent, strange and steep landscape of the Stone Forest creates countless labyrinthine vistas, all of which feature stones in various formations.

Image Credit: imgur.com

5) Queshi Scenic Area, Shantou

The Queshi Scenic Spot is separated from the city by the Que Shi Sea in the south of the Shantou Gulf. Surrounded by vast stretches of blue water on three sides, it is just like a miniature garden sitting in the sea. Characterized by superb subtropical beaches and seashore scenery, the scenic spot is an excellent integration of imposing sea, magnificent mountains, rare stones and mysterious caves.

Image credit: flickriver.com

6) Taibai Mountain National Forest Park, Xi’an

Taibai means ‘too white’ in Chinese, used to describe the color of the mountain. Because of the cold climate in the mountain, thick layers of ice have always been covering its summits all the year round. Taibai Mountain National Forest Park is also known for its prosperous forest resources, rich animal species, odd mountainous physiognomy together with its profound historical scenes.

Image Credit: tbpark.com

7) Taiziwan Park, Hangzhou

Taiziwan Park or Prince Bay Park was chosen as the burial place for two princes of the Southern Song, hence its name. It is famous for its tulips and it has held annual tulips exhibition ever since. During spring, the Sakura is in full bloom. Additionally, over 300,000 blooms create an exotic mosaic of color and beauty. With its pretty scenery and lucky name, the Prince Bay Park has made itself the popular park for the wedding, a park specially designed for the Western- and Chinese-style wedding.

Image Credit: morehangzhou.com

8) Da Ming Mountain, Hangzhou

Da Ming Mountain has a rich flora and fauna and offers a distinctive landscape in four seasons: the mist of spring, the waterfall in summer, the cloud in autumn and the snow of winter. Covered with mist and cloud all the year round, Mount Daming is beautiful and graceful with abundant resources. The ridges and peaks are luxuriantly green, colorful and varied in postures, brooks and streams are criss-cross, cliffs equipped with flying waterfalls and gorges are precipitous. It has a high rock waterfall with a height of more than 120 meters, and a Dragon Lake adding radiance and beauty to the mountain. It is not only a preferable choice to avoid summer heat but also a winter resort for snow scene in the southernmost China.

Image Credit: thatmags.com

9) Xianhu Botanic Garden, Shenzhen

Shenzhen Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, built in 1983, is a renowned botanical garden and scenic area. The whole garden is separated into six major scenic areas. Many Chinese classic garden buildings are distributed randomly in these areas, like Jade Belt Bridge, Liangyi Pavilion, Longzhun Tower and Lansheng Pavilion. Additionally, the Palaeontological Museum is also located inside the garden, exhibiting all kinds of fossils. Blanketed with lush lawn and various trees, Shenzhen Fairy Lake Botanical Garden provides every visitor with an earthly heaven combining the beautiful nature and garden landscape.

Image credit: shenzhenparty.com

10) Tianzifang, Shanghai

Located in the Old French Quarter, Tianzifang is a touristic arts and crafts enclave that has transformed itself from traditional residential area. Today, Tianzifang houses not only craft shops and galleries, but also bars, cafes, restaurants, and boutiques. If you are a fan of old Shanghai shikumen buildings, narrow alleys and some heritage vibes, you know where to head to in Shanghai!

Image Credit: smilesfromabroad.at

Now with UnionPay, these places are even more affordable and accessible to all who wants a feel of Europe without breaking the bank. When you purchase AirAsia flights via UnionPay, you will get additional 10% of the fares! Promotion details are outlined as below:

Get 10% discount on top of all AirAsia promotions with UnionPay Card!

Booking Period: 1 December 2017 – 28 February 2018

Travel Period: 3 January 2018 – 30 January 2019

Book your flights to Kunming, Shantou, Xi’an, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen and many more from fares as low as RM179! Log on to AirAsia.com to grab your seats now!